The Roommate
by Naluu
Summary: What happens when Natsu is kicked out of his house due to unpaid rent? Well, Lucy comes to the rescue, of course! But how will the two cope, being alone together?
1. Chapter 1 - The Beginning

The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 1

Ever since she could remember, there was nothing Lucy loved more than reading a good book in a nice hot bath. It calmed and relaxed her, and sent her into a different world to Earthland, with all of its crazy adventures and people included.

Once Lucy finished cleaning, reading and soaking, she would exit the bath and wrap a white, feather like towel around her body, hugging her curves and helping her support the relaxed feeling she held on to for dear life.

The normal routine would be to relax in her towel until she was dry enough to put on her pink cotton pyjamas, and after a pampering brush of her hair, she would crawl into bed, and would fall into a deep sleep with a refreshing after effect. However, tonight was _much_ different.

She had barely had time to dry herself from the bath before a loud, dominant knocking came from her front door. She ran over, and opened it slightly, so she could see if wearing merely a towel was right for whoever the visitor may be. She first caught sight of the visitor's bright pink hair, closely followed by his tanned yet muscular chest. Both prominent features happened to be soaked, with the rest of him, for that matter.

Lucy swung her door fully open and with a sigh, looked to her visitor and said in a way that suggested this happened far too often, "Come on in, Natsu." The dragon slayer could barely fit through the door, due to his extra baggage, _literally_. He carried a bag on each shoulder, and another in his right hand, and after giving Lucy a smile to say "Thanks", forced himself through her all too small door.

The dragon slayer was welcomed by the wonderful and comforting scent that was Lucy. It was always a clean and inviting smell, and it never failed to put him at ease, regardless of their situation.

He dropped his bags next to the sofa with a heavy "thud", and then turned to Lucy, waiting for a bombardment of questions to drown him. However, the celestial mage simply gave him a helpless smile and murmured "what am I going to do with you, eh, Natsu?" She ran into the bathroom, and quickly reappeared with an identical towel to the one she still happened to be wearing, and tossed it to her dragon slayer best friend. "Now, off you go in the bath, you'll catch a cold if you don't get that rain water off you soon." It had only came to her realization that it was raining, due to Natsu being soaked in rain water, and the cracks of thunder that had only recently been introduced to the dark evening.

At hearing Lucy's order, Natsu smiled to himself. _She's so cute when she gets worried over little things._ Immediately after thinking of Lucy as _cute_, Natsu shook his head as if thinking of such a thing about his best friend was an absolute sin. "You know, Luce, I can just use my heat to dry myself off." Though, Lucy wasn't going to accept that. "No, Natsu. Go in the bath and then dry off properly, I'm not risking anything." So Natsu followed the blonde's orders, and later reappeared in her living room with nothing but a towel wrapped around his lower half. Lucy, already dressed in her cute, pink cotton pyjamas, was alarmed by his appearance, turning tomato red and turning the other way. _I cannot see him like this! Sure, he has a great body, but still, he's my best friend! These other feelings don't matter! _The female mage thought to herself. "NATSU!" She squealed. "Why haven't you got your clothes on!?" she questioned, still looking the other way. "Well, my clothes are wet, Luce. So I thought it would be wrong to put them back on, see? I'm not totally dumb" he beamed at her, who was still looking the other way. "Anyways, I have all my clothes in my bag, so I'll just go change into them." Lucy calmed, before realising that he mentioned that fact that he had _all_ of his clothes with him. Thinking about it, why did he have those three large bags with him?

Something wasn't right, and Lucy couldn't stay quiet about it.

"N-Natsu?" She stuttered. "W-why do you have all your clothes with you? Why do you have those three large bags? What's wrong?" She asked, concern clearly overwhelming her voice. Natsu looked to the floor, and let out a defeated sigh. Something was _definitely_ wrong. Natsu never sighed like that. _Never. _"Luce, I'll be honest, but please don't be mad with me." He whimpered, reminding Lucy of what Natsu probably would have been like as a boy. "Fine, I won't get mad." She said, feeling as though this was a conversation between an adult and her child. "Promise, Lucy?" He asked, only enhancing the immaturity within himself. "I promise."

"I..I got kicked out of my house. I mean, w-we did. Me and Happy." He looked out the window, unable to stare Lucy in the eyes. She would be disappointed in him. He just knew it. "What? How? Natsu, are _you_ alright?" She asked. She couldn't even hide the worry she had. She cared about Natsu, and to see him so weak, so helpless. It _killed_ her to see her favourite guy so upset. "W-well, Happy and I didn't make enough money from our last job to cover the rent, so, our landlord told us that until we could make the money…" his voice went quieter, and eventually, he mumbled "we're kicked out." Lucy gasped at the story. Yeah, she knew they weren't rich, but she didn't realise it was that bad. Though, in all honesty, she was just so glad Natsu was alright. Then it hit her. "Wait, where's Happy?" Natsu gave a small smile and simply replied with "he's at Fairy Hills with Charle and Wendy. Cats are allowed there, so don't worry, Lucy, he's safe." That did calm her, and apparently, it put Natsu at ease too, as he began to relax a little at the thought of Happy being safe, warm and well looked after. "But anyways, I should go, I'm gonna go out in the woods and find a spot to call home for the meantime." Natsu looked at Lucy's face, and noticed how worried and scared she looked for her best friend. He couldn't help but smile at how utterly adorable she was. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!" he comforted her, and then gave her one of his signature smiles which caused Lucy's heart to melt every time, guaranteed. Lucy being herself, though, she wasn't going to allow that. After a while of sitting in thought, she noticed that Natsu was already getting up to leave her home, his bags in the same place on his body as when he arrived.

Without looking back, he began to say his farewells whilst making his exit. "Well, thanks for everything Lucy, I'll see you at the guild tomorrow, and we'll go on a job with a big reward, alright? Now don't you worry about-" he stopped talking after feeling a soft, moisturised hand clasp onto his free, rougher and much larger left hand. It was Lucy, and she was pulling him back. "Natsu, don't go. I'd worry about you so much, and I would never let you spend a night alone in the forest, dragon slayer or not." After a pause, she slowly began to smile. "In fact, I know just the place for you to stay until you get your house back…" Natsu's face lit up and he dropped his bags as he turned to Lucy, still grasping her hand.

"Where is it Lucy? Where can I stay!?" He was desperate to know the answer. Not only did he slightly dislike the idea of sleeping in the forest, he also didn't want to worry Lucy, so staying somewhere indoors would put them both at ease.

"Here." She beamed at Natsu, using her free hand to gesture her house. Natsu was taken by complete surprise, and even stepped back out of shock. "L-Luce, are you sure about this? Because I don't want to intrude. I mean, this is your house, and I'd feel so bad for-" but before he knew it, Lucy had a finger gently resting on his lips, signalling that it was her decision, and didn't wish to argue over it. "I'm sure Natsu. Hey, it'll be fun!" She laughed, and Natsu began to laugh too.

The two best friends laughed together, and Natsu even pulled her into a thank you hug, causing both team mates to blush wildly. How they were going to cope with living together if they couldn't even hug was a mystery which would only be decoded over time. How this would work out was something that would come next.


	2. Chapter 2 - The First Night

The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 2

"But your bed is so much comfier!" Natsu whined. At hearing this protest, Lucy instantly turned tomato red. She would _never _againshare a bed with Natsu Dragneel. Not after _that_ night. Lucy had to look away from the dragon slayer due to embarrassment, and the fact that he had a pout that Lucy thought made him look adorable, made it so much harder for her to reject his request. "No, Natsu! We cannot share a bed! It-it's just weird! We're _nakama_, not husband and wife." Lucy argued back. Admittedly, she didn't actually hate the idea as much as she led on. It was all just exaggeration to stop Natsu from pulling faces that he knew tugged on her heart strings. She couldn't forget the one night they did share a bed, though.

-FLASHBACK-

She had to be honest; she had never felt so safe and warm by his side. In fact, when waking up, she found herself planted against his warm, tanned chest. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she had never felt so content. _But you shouldn't feel this way, Lucy. _She told herself. _He's your best friend! He can't be the one! He's- he's Natsu! _Though she couldn't help but ignore those voices inside of her head. As much as she hated to come to terms with this, being by his side felt pretty good.

However, all too soon, a mage with long red hair and a stern face strolled inside of Lucy's abode. She was wearing her regular blue skirt, with her armour suited on her torso. Lucy never understood why she wore her armour if she was only walking short distances. Surely, it would become uncomfortable, right? This thought was hastily replaced with the fear for her life, as at that point, Erza Knightwalker turned her head to find the celestial mage snuggling up to their nakama, Mr Dragneel. _In bed_. _Together_. _Snuggling_. Erza ex-quipped and before Lucy could even register what outfit she ex-quipped to, the red-headed demon had her sword at Lucy's throat. "Did you mate?" The red head questioned, her eyes warping from her chocolate brown to midnight black. "What?! N-no, Erza! Why would I mate with Nat-" At that point, Erza had pushed the blade closer to Lucy's neck, her eyes only becoming more menacing as the seconds ticked away. "Are you lying to me, Lucy? Tell me the truth, before you unleash the wrath of the true Titania!" Erza raised voice steadily throughout the questioning; only causing Lucy to feel even more insignificant. "Erza! Would I lie to you!? We didn't…" Lucy paused. She _really_ didn't want to have to say this. It was say it, or else off with her head. "We didn't mate." Lucy sighed. Even the thought made her insides churn. Erza sighed. "I'll believe you this one time, Lucy Heartfilia. However, if I see you and Dragneel in bed ever again, I can assure you, the world will lose one blonde celestial mage and one fire dragon slayer. You have been warned." Erza left calmly after ex-quipping into her regular outfit and even closed the door after herself, leaving Lucy to calm down, and wake up the blissfully unaware dragon slayer from his never ending rest.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

She couldn't have that happen again. She wanted to live a happily life, have kids, get married, and grow old with her one true love. She wanted to take care of her spirits and become a stronger mage! She couldn't let Erza wipe her off the planet because of one cute pout by a dragon slayer winning her over! "I'm sorry, Natsu, but we can't. Just take my word for it and sleep on the couch. In fact, if the bed means that much to you, I'll even let you sleep in my bed and I'll sleep on the couch!" _I really don't want to lose my life. If only you were awake, Natsu. _"No, Lucy. I wouldn't let you sleep on the couch. You're my nakama. I'll believe you when you say we can't, it's okay!" He beamed, and then gave Lucy one of his huge smiles, making Lucy's stomach feel like it was filled with butterflies. She decided to ignore that feeling, and put it down to hunger, rather than anything that concerned Natsu.

They were already prepared for bed. Lucy was in her cute, pink cotton pyjamas. Natsu was shirtless, with these black knee length shorts that Lucy had never seen before. _Then again, how many outfits have I actually seen him in?_ Lucy thought to herself. So it didn't really surprise her to see Natsu wearing something she had never seen before. She guessed that this was just something she would get used to seeing whilst they temporarily lived together; Natsu's other outfits.

She crawled into her bed after the long, upside-down evening. Natsu turned the lights out before jumping onto Lucy's couch. "Hey, don't jump on my couch!" Lucy lectured Natsu, though inside she wasn't particularly bothered. It was habit for her to lecture him for every little thing. _I guess we are a little like a husband and wife, what with all our fighting._ She smiled to herself before realising what she had actually just thought and decided to sleep before she began to think anything else of Natsu Dragneel. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard her roommate's voice. "Lucy?" He asked quietly, just loud enough for her and only her to hear. "What is it, Natsu? If you're after a midnight snack, forget it. I don't have enough food in my fridge. We're going shopping tomorrow." She explained to him. "What? Shopping?!" Natsu complained, reminding Lucy of a small child forced to go grocery shopping with his mother. Natsu cleared his throat, "But no, that's not it." He made himself innocent against that accusation. "I just wanted to say thank you, for everything." He murmured. _Mavis, I sound so weak. _He thought to himself. Though, this only put the largest smile on Lucy's face. "Thank you too, Natsu." A small laugh escaped her lips, causing Natsu to smile, too. "Thank you, for everything." She finished. On that note, she fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of her companion, her best friend, her nakama, _Natsu_.

It was the middle of the night, and Natsu just couldn't sleep, so he just lay there, staring at the ceiling. All he could think of was Lucy, and all of her kindness. _Does her kindness have no limits? _He wondered. _I want to thank her again. _He looked over to her, and smiled to himself at how she looked when she was asleep. She was facing him whilst sleeping. Her hair was in low pigtails, making her look so small and innocent. Her mouth was opened slightly. _She's so cute when she's sleeping._ Almost instantly, Natsu nearly slapped himself for thinking that way about her. _She's my best friend! I shouldn't be thinking like this! Forget it, Natsu! Not gonna happen!_ He looked over once more, only to find that Lucy was shivering. He noticed that her blanket was on the floor. So, in his selfless nature, he quietly rose from the couch. Lifting the blanket up from the floor, he gently placed it on Lucy, tucking her in, ensuring that he didn't touch her somewhere that would make him her punching bag again. _I hate it when she hits me. Nothing hurts more than to see her pull such mean expressions because of me._ After watching her slowly stop shaking, he let out a satisfied sigh, and began to return to the couch, only to hear Lucy murmur "Natsu…" in her sleep, which left him in a state of wonder. _What is she dreaming about? Is she dreaming of me?_ He began to wonder just what his nakama was thinking of. Smiling, he returned to the couch and lay back down. He closed his eyes, and whispered to his companion on the other side of the room.

"Goodnight, Lucy."


	3. Chapter 3 - The Supermarket

The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 3

"Eat any more and you'll explode! Your eating habits are seriously cutting into my rent money!" Lucy yelled at the dragon slayer, who happened to be sprawled out on her living room floor, his human stomach the size of a literal dragon's. "Natsu! Are you even listening to me!?"Lucy screamed. She was losing her temper with him. Whenever he overate, he had a habit to switch himself off from the rest of Earthland and escape inside some other alternate universe. "Lucyyyyyy…" Natsu groaned from the living room floor. The blonde celestial mage glared down at him, tapping her foot impatiently. "What is it now?" She asked, fury noticeably flaring up in her tone. "…I'm hungry…" He replied hesitantly. _He's an idiot. A greedy, lazy idiot._ Lucy thought to herself. "Get up, Natsu! I told you yesterday, we need to shop for groceries, since _somebody_ ate everything I had in my home, including the fire from my fireplace." She sighed. _Mavis, why am I stuck with him? He's going to make me homeless at this rate._ Though, Lucy had to be honest with herself. She was much happier having Natsu rather than the woods. _It's for the best. _She thought._ He's your nakama, after all._ Sighing in defeat, she dragged Natsu up onto his feet, checked she had her precious keys with her, and left her home, with a worn out dragon slayer by her side.

"Lucy! Can we get this!? No, no! _This!_ But wait! This looks so tasty! _Luuuucyyyyyy, _can we get three of everything?" Natsu asked. Natsu had always been extremely easily excitable over anything, ranging from a life or death battle, or looking at anything edible. Well, they didn't _always_ have to be edible. The blonde mage smiled to herself when her male companion wasn't looking. _Well, a man's got to eat, I suppose. You've got to give it to him, he even eats the food I cook! _Lucy was renowned throughout the entire guild for her lacking in cooking skills, hence the reason she usually visited restaurants or bought food that her (arguably) most adaptable celestial spirit, Virgo, could prepare.

"Okay, Natsu. You can pick one out of the three. No more, though. I have novel supplies to buy." She explained. She was in the middle of writing her third novel, "Love and Lust Forever", which entailed a story line involving a lonely female mage who was approached by a male mage, and together they went on adventures, unaware that both mages felt passionately about one another. This particular novel reminded her of two people, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

She looked up to see Natsu holding one item, a new ramen named 'Super Spicy Salamander!' "See? I did it!" grinning ferociously at Lucy. _Seriously, stop grinning at me._ She thought, looking away quickly. _You know how that grin makes me soften up around you. _The thoughts alone were causing Lucy to feel a hot flush coming over, so she decided to extinguish the thought by continuing to look for the final items on her list.

As she looked down at her list, Natsu playfully placed his arm around her shoulder and leaned in. "So, what's next?" still grinning. Lucy tried to ignore his warm touch. _He's nakama. Nakama! Nothing more! _"W-well, we still need to buy some tinned beef." Lucy replied, ticking the beef off her shopping list. The two walked side by side around the super market in search of the beef. They finally arrived at the tins isle within the store, and Lucy made a beeline towards the tinned beef which was on the top shelf. It was then that she came to the realisation that she couldn't reach the top shelf without jumping as high as she could. She checked her skirt length to ensure that she didn't flash anything she was uncomfortable showing to the other customers and Natsu. Once she was comfortable, she squatted slightly, and then jumped high enough to grab the tinned beef from the top shelf. It happened that her pinkette friend decided to grab the tin at the exact same time as Lucy, although he merely had to raise his arm to reach it. When they both grabbed it, their hands grasped each other's whilst holding onto the metal can. Both mage's blushed intensely at the sudden contact. _Whoa, Mavis, her hand is so soft. This actually feels pretty good._ The dragon slayer thought to himself. Without thinking, they both let go of the tin out due to the shock of each other's touch. Consequently, the tin fell towards the ground, landing full force on Lucy's foot, causing her to yelp out in pain. "Natsu, you idiot!" Lucy screamed at him. _I can't believe I thought such stupid things about him! He's not cute, he's an idiot! _Lucy was furious. She stormed off in the other direction, only to bump into a customer. Lucy opened her mouth to apologise, however, as she looked up, she was greeted by a man who ticked all the boxes on her list to be her dream man. He had messy hair and black eyes. He was taller than her, and was the perfect height to envelope her in his arms. She wanted to swoon at the sight of him, however, Natsu's accident made her barely able to stand. "Miss, are you alright? I saw the tin fall. Here, I'll find you a place to sit." the stranger showed kindness, with concern filling his onyx eyes. Lucy attempted a smile whilst her heart was melting at the sight of him. "Well, it hurts a-" she began to reply, before a certain pink haired mage began to interrupt her. "Lucy, I-I'm so sorry! It was an accident! You know I'd never hurt my nakama-""Shut up, Natsu!" Lucy screamed at him. The dragon slayer took a step back. "Can't you do anything right?!" Once she said those words, she covered her mouth. _I can't believe I've just said that. Too far, Lucy. Too Far. _Though she'd already hurt him, and regret wouldn't take away the pain she threw at her partner. Natsu's eyes began to cloud with sadness and sorrow, before he looked to the floor, and Lucy was unable to see them anymore. "Well, I guess I'll just see ya around, Luce." He quickly brushed past her, and she briefly came into contact the coldest touch she'd ever felt from Natsu. _He's not mad. He's upset, and it's all my fault._ Lucy was filled to the brim with regret. Ignoring the pain on her foot and the groceries she had collected, she began to run after Natsu. He was the only thing on her mind at that point; he was the _only_ thing she could think of. That was until the stranger called after her. "Wait! You shouldn't run on that foot! _You need to think of yourself a little more_." Those words made Lucy flinch. She stopped in her tracks and turned to the stranger. "You don't know anything about me. Think about myself? How can I do that when I've hurt the most important person in my life?" She turned back towards the exit and sprinted home.

She never stopped once. She stumbled over the path every few moments, but she just couldn't stop. _Natsu, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that. Please, forgive me._ Her desperation to find her nakama to apologise was the only motivation stopping her from collapsing in pain from her foot.

After what felt like a lifetime to Lucy, she made it home. As she stood outside the door to her apartment, she took a deep breath, praying that Natsu's belongs still sat in a heap in the corner of her living room.

She took a deep breath and opened the door, _expecting the worst_.


	4. Chapter 4 - Your Nakama, Lucy

**(A/N:) So, It's about time I wrote an author's note! I'd just like to thank everybody for the 1,100+ views, I wasn't expecting that! **

**So far, every review I've received is positive, so I hope I can continue to entertain you all!**

**The past 4 days (including today), I've updated daily, and as much as I'd like to continue this, they may not always be so frequent, but I'll never fall into a horrible posting pattern, it'll be at least every few days!**

**Here's an extra long chapter to thank you all for the views! I'll see you next time! (END OF A/N)**

* * *

The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 4

No matter where the blonde mage ran, her pinkette companion was nowhere to be found. Firstly, she ran to the guild, only to be smothered by a worried Mirajane and a sarcastic Gray Fullbuster. After raiding every section of the guild, from the infirmary to even the library, Lucy gave in with her hopes of Natsu's appearance being within the guild.

-FLASHBACK-

On returning to her home twenty or so minutes earlier, a wave of relief washed over her as she came to the discovery that although there was no Natsu to be found, his bags were still messily piled up in the corner of her room. She decided that she would search for her nakama, regardless of the length of time it took. Firstly, however, she wrote a letter to Natsu, which she left on the top of his bags.

_Natsu,_

_Words can't even begin to say how sorry I am for hurting you. I didn't mean it at all. You're my best friend! Why would I ever think that of you!? _

_Today, Natsu, the tables will turn. Today, I'm going to be your hero. I'll search for you, and I refuse to give up until you come out from the shadows and force me with all your might to stop chasing after you._

_Don't leave here, please, Natsu. This place is so much better when you're around. We're Fairy Tail's strongest, remember? My life is so much better with you in it._

_Please, Natsu. Come home._

_From your nakama,_

_Lucy._

She folded the letter neatly and wrote her nakama's name on the front of the folded sheet of paper. Then, she ran with everything she had. Natsu would search endlessly for her, or anybody else in the guild, for that matter. So didn't he deserve the same? She started at the guild.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

She ran to every restaurant in town. She knew he wouldn't be dining in luxury inside, but he may have drooled on the windows of the establishment. On the contrary, her bright idea had no such luck.

She ran all over town, from main streets, to closing market stalls to shady alleyways. _I won't give in. I will find you, Natsu._ Despite her optimistic attitude, it was clear that she was seriously running out of places to search.

After searching every ounce of the town, she began to look on the outskirts. _Put yourself in Natsu's mind, Lucy._ Firstly, she checked the lake where Natsu would fish with his respectable elder, Gildarts, and his best friend, Happy the Exceed. There was no Natsu to be seen. She checked up every tree in the nearby forest. No pinkette present.

The search continued for hours, until Lucy came to terms with the fact that she needed a break, whether the liked it or not. She remembered a nice area Natsu showed her when she first joined the guild. She began to walk to the riverside with the grassy banks and beautiful view. The place where Natsu would fight with Erza and Gray when they were young. _He's always dreamt of beating Erza, hasn't he?_ She smiled. _Not a chance. _Sunset was fast approaching, so she knew she'd have to be quick on finding Natsu, else sthey'd both be out after nightfall. As she approached her destination, she looked ahead to find a black silhouette of a person in the very spot she intended on occupying. She carried on walking closer, curious to see if she recognized the figure, before she stopped in her tracks when the figure was clear to her.

Black sandals, white pants, a gold trimmed black waistcoat. A white dragon scale resembling scarf. Pink, spiky hair.

She found him.

Sprinting towards him, he heard his partner's footsteps, and stood up, facing her direction. He looked to the floor, avoiding eye contact. Lucy stopped in front of him, panting for her life. She looked up at him only to see that his eyes were completely out of sight. He couldn't even look her in the eyes. "Natsu, I am so sorry. I should never have said that. That was completely unnecessary and you deserve so much better. I'm such an idiot! Sometimes I just-" She was stopped during her jumbled explanation by the dragon slayer taking a step closer and pulling her into his arms.

The celestial wizard blushed wildly, and hesitantly put her hands around his waist. His left hand was around her waist, and his right hand was gently stroking her hair, making her feel completely at ease whilst being held by him. "I-I'm sorry too, Luce." He said so quietly, so that she was the only person in the world to hear his apology, spoken so softly and out of character for what Lucy was used to. She was used to an over confident and egoistic dragon slayer, but this, this was something so much more different. Admittedly though, she loved it. She got the impression that very few saw this side of Natsu, and she was lucky enough to be one of the few. _Why is my heart beating so fast? It's just, Natsu._ However, she didn't bother trying to fight the feelings beginning to swell within her chest. She knew she felt something for him. This was something special, regardless of the size.

Eventually, Natsu ended the embrace, and held her at arm's length, finally able to look into her chocolate brown eyes, allowing her to return the favour, by staring into his deep onyx ones. Lucy replicated Natsu's famous grin, only for him to slowly begin the mirror that image.

"Well, Natsu, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. How about we go out for a meal? My treat?" Lucy beamed, and Natsu merely had to beam back for Lucy to comprehend his answer. "Mind, Natsu. This is only once, and I don't have much money, we're only doing this since the supermarket is closed. We'll be going back tomorrow to buy the groceries, since we still don't have any food again. Natsu let out a tired sigh. "Do I have to come, Lucy?" He whined. The blonde simply smiled lightly and replied "Then again, maybe I'll just go alone? Let's have one day that we don't fall out, eh?" She winked at her best friend, and they laughed as they walked back to the town, arm in arm.

* * *

As they sat in Lucy's favourite restaurant, "itsumo", Natsu had countless plates piled on one another. The waiter came back and forth several times as he tried to carry endless stacks of plates. Lucy, however, sat eating her favourite Spicy Ramen contently. "itsumo" always knew how to prepare the perfect spicy ramen. Lucy had learnt over her time in Magnolia that you shouldn't judge it by the name. Lucy wasn't a fan of spicy food; however, this was neither too hot nor too bland. It was the perfect dish, in Lucy's eyes.

As Natsu had finished his several meals, Lucy called for the waiter to hand her the bill, praying it wasn't too costly. When the waiter returned, he placed two mints on the tray along with the bill. Natsu hastily took his own, then looked at Lucy almost a millisecond later, basically asking if she was going to eat hers, just as she placed it in her mouth and threw Natsu a spiteful grin.

She almost choked on her mint when she discovered the price of the meal. "20,000 jewels!?" Lucy screamed. She stood up and placed her hands on the table in despair. Natsu stopped and stared at her, a sympathetic look in his eyes. His eyes were then led to the table, as he saw Lucy's tears crash on the table. "I-I can't afford this." She whispered quietly to Natsu. She wiped her eyes as she began to get ready to tell the waiter, accepting whatever punishment he was to throw at her, before a stranger walked over to her table, placing 20,000 jewels on the tray, with a 100 jewel tip to the waiter. He walked over to the waiter and smiled as he handed them the tray. "I'm paying for them two." He said smoothly and sophisticatedly. He then turned back to Lucy and Natsu. As Lucy looked up at him, she instantly recognized him. "Y-you! You're the guy from the supermarket!" She exclaimed, surprise filling her voice. The stranger chuckled as he looked up at her. _He is very handsome._ Lucy thought to herself, before shaking her head ferociously, as though it would wipe that thought out of her head. "How rude of me" he began to reply, "I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Ando Sukata, but you, my dearest" he gently lifted Lucy's hand "can call me whatever you like." He kissed her hand, and then gave her a discreet wink. Lucy blushed slightly, only for her nose to scrunch up. "I'm sorry, can you smell a burning? I wonder if they're okay in the kitchen- NATSU!" Lucy cried out in horror. Natsu had set the tablecloth on fire, leaving Lucy and Ando to glare at him in horror. A waiter ran over to put out the fire, only for Lucy to hand him 2,000 jewels, apologising embarrassedly. She then turned to glare at where Natsu was, only to discover he was already by her side, pulling the two apart, who still happened to be connected after the kiss on the hand. "Well, it was very nice meeting you, _Ando-samaaaa, _however, we must be off. Thanks for the meal." Natsu said without a single hint of kindness on the last part of his sentence.

"W-wait!" Lucy protested. "I haven't introduced myself to him yet, Natsu!" Though before she had the opportunity, Ando simply stood at the exit of itsumo, waving the pair off. "Goodbye, Lucy Heartfilia and her fiery friend. I'll be sure to have the delight of encountering you again, Heartfilia-san." With that, he disappeared into the darkness.

Lucy and Natsu began to walk off into the night towards her home, before she stopped dead in her tracks, with Natsu still walking, in a huff. "Natsu… H-how exactly did he know my name?" Natsu stopped immediately, turning back to her and lifting her up before she could even register what was happening. "N-Natsu! What are you doing?" Lucy cried out, her heart both fluttering out of the electricity when they touched and the fear of being lifted by such a current furious dragon slayer. The heat coming off him was almost scalding her legs. "We need to get you inside. I thought I could smell something weird on him. He's dangerous. Dammit! Why did I let him get away!?" Natsu was beating himself up about his protection over Lucy, and so began to sprint home. They were back at her appointment in a matter of minutes. Natsu carried her all the way into her house. "Natsu, could you please let me down? I think your anger might have left a permanent mark on my legs." Lucy asked, slightly afraid of the fire in his eyes.

Natsu began to head for the door, with no sign of any grin or happiness left inside of him. "I have to find him. He could try to hurt you, Luce. _Nobody_ is allowed to hurt you. I will protect you with everything I've got. You're nakama and _nobody_ hurts my nakama. I'm going to teach him to never mess with anybody from Fairy Tail. Especially you, Lucy. I'm all fired up!" His voice rose significantly at the last part, emphasised with a flaming fist. This side of Natsu should have scared her; however, she knew he only wanted to protect his friend. "No, Natsu. You're staying here. Look, we'll go to see master tomorrow and we'll ask him what he thinks, alright? But please, we've had enough trouble for one day. You need to rest, and so do I." Lucy sighed. She truly loved her best friend, and she loved his determination to protect her and the guild, but he had to learn to stop over exerting himself. _I worry about you, Natsu._ She thought to herself. Whilst pondering in deep thought and worry over her pinkette companion, he had begun to calm down and walked over to Lucy, and began to stroke her hair. "Look, I'll leave it for tonight, but we're at the guild first thing tomorrow, alright? Forget about that shopping, you come first. To me, anyways." Both Natsu and Lucy came to the realization of what he had just said, and both looked away at the same time whilst blushing furiously. _Dammit, Natsu. Think about what you're gonna say first!_ Though Natsu had never been one to really hide his feelings. He was so used to just being honest to both himself and others around him. The blonde mage gave the dragon slayer a small smile before going into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Whilst she was gone, Natsu sat on the sofa and thought about this guy, with everything from his hair style to dialect.

_You won't be able to lay a hand on Lucy._ Natsu thought to himself. Though, one question was sitting at the front of his mind, and he couldn't sit back and ignore it.

_Just who is this guy?_


	5. Chapter 5 - Fun Fairs and Great Scares

**(A/N:) So, since I took the night off last night, here's a super long chapter today! **

**Also, I'd like a apologise for an error I made in chapter 2. I accidentally used Erza's Edolas's last name, which was just a silly little mistake. Now that we've cleared that up, I'd just like to say thank you so much for helping me hit nearly 2,000 views! **

**Reviews are always welcomed and I read every one of them! I hope you're enjoying my fan fiction so far. I have lots of ideas to come, so look forward to them! Thanks, and I'll see you next time! (END A/N:)**

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The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 5

As Natsu threw the two sobbing bandits in front of their current client, he and Lucy both sighed contently in unison. "So, I'd assume the mission went well, without any problems, yeah?" asked their client. Over the years, Fairy Tail had adapted to their varied range of clients, and so in order to surprise them with a…different client was very rare. However, as Natsu and Lucy stood before their client, they were (and for the first time), speechless. "Uh, yeah." Natsu replied, sounding as bored as ever. "This is a pretty regular mission for us, y'know? So it was a piece of cake for me and Luce here!" He grinned as he looked over to his partner and current house mate, Lucy Heartfilia. Lucy returned the warm smile to Natsu, then turned back to the client. "He's right, sir." Lucy had her 'business/keep the standards high for Fairy Tail' mode on, and Natsu knew that when she was in this mode, he wasn't to interrupt her. Lucy continued on. "Now, I hate to sound rude, especially if the following question has the potential to tarnish our guild's reputation, however, I must ask, are we still able to receive our 350,000 jewels immediately, as stated on the quest sheet?" Pulling out the original quest sheet, she handed it to the client. The client stared blankly at the sheet, then slowly looked up at the two mages, giving them an awkward smile. Natsu wasn't famous for his intelligence, however, even he could see through the client's cover. They weren't getting their money. "Well…" the client began, taking a deep breath before coming clean to the pair. "Thing is, I needed to write a large amount so that somebody would finally take the quest. Truth is, I'm broke. These bandits are after me because I used to be filthy stinking rich! They don't believe me when I say I'm poor." He sighed, sadness clearly showing through his words. "Look." Natsu cut in, taking a step closer to the lying client. Lucy knew that trouble in this situation was inevitable, and that she was the only one who could stop Natsu from unleashing his power on this poor, old man. She grabbed his arm, which did stop him from moving any closer to him, though Lucy could already feel his body burning. "We worked hard for you. We followed every order on your request, we kept within the time range, heck, and we didn't even destroy anything for once! We need this money, so you have to stick to your promise, old man." Natsu's eyes were slowly growing wider, expressing a hint of insanity forming inside of him. "W-w-wait!" The old man protested. "I-I did still bring you two a reward. It-it isn't 350,000 jewels, b-but it's something! Here!" The man lifted a shaky hand from his pocket, revealing two tickets. Natsu and Lucy quickly looked at each other, confused as of what to say. "Um, what are these, exactly?" Lucy asked, her business-like attitude gone and forgotten. "Well, my son, h-he works at a theme park on weekends, and he managed to get two discounted tickets! I thought m-maybe you two lovebirds would maybe enjoy a nice date at a funfair, a-am I right?" He asked hesitantly, his arm still holding the tickets out towards the pair. However, while the old man was fearing for his life, Natsu and Lucy both stood alike; blushing furiously at the mentioning of _lovebirds._ "N-no, you've got it all wrong!" Lucy explained, flustered. "Natsu and I are best friends! We're nakama, not a couple!" Her blushing only increased, and so she turned away from the two. Well, Natsu more than the old man, regardless of the fact that both men were staring at her. However, although Natsu continued to blush slightly, he managed to cover it, to some extent. "Yo, old man." Natsu said, making the client snap his eyes back to the dragon slayer. "We're not getting these jewels, are we?" He asked, calmer than Lucy ever would have expected from him. The old man shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. All I can offer are my sincerest apologies for deceiving you two, and these theme park tickets." After some thought, Natsu took the tickets from the old man, and gave him a small, yet blinding, grin. "Thanks, old man. Just before you go, what was your name again?" _Wow, he's actually being polite._ Lucy thought to herself. _What's got into you, Natsu? _She smiled. "M-my name is Mataka. And I would assume you're Natsu, by the young lady's words earlier." Mataka turned to smile gently at Lucy, who gave him a soft smile back. "Well, thanks, Taka-san!" Natsu grinned, before Lucy scolded him for using such a nickname without the old man's permission. Yet, Mataka simply smiled at the two youth's, and waved them off as they returned back to their town of Magnolia to pack some necessities for the theme park.

* * *

"Yo, Lucy!" Natsu shouted excitedly to Lucy from next to the spinning teacups. "Look at these! We should go on them! After all, you love tea!" He beamed to Lucy, causing her to smile and blush without her even noticing. _He's like a kid in a candy store. _She smiled. Whilst she was off in a daze, Natsu had already chosen a new ride to enjoy first. "Lucyyyyyy" the pinkette started, and as soon as the blonde had found Natsu, she gawked in horror and excitement at what stood behind him. "The Ultimate Nightmare" Lucy recited from the ride sign. "Natsu, the name is terrible; do we have to go on this?" She moaned. Lucy loved a good scary ride, however, this just sounded like it had no potential to please such a thrill seeker. "Come on Lucy, pleaaaseeeee?" Natsu begged. He even put on a pet lip to persuade her. Lucy pouted at Natsu, causing them both to look like idiots in the middle of the theme park. With a laugh from the two best friends, due to their funny faces, Lucy walked over to Natsu, and he pushed his arm out for her to lace hers through as they walked towards the rollercoaster.

_I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this. I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this. I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this. _Lucy kept repeating in her head. Sure, the rollercoaster was pretty good, and she'd have enjoyed it, had it not have been for the purple faced, motion sick idiot beside her. "Natsu! Why did you choose to go on something like this!?" She screamed so that he could both hear her over the music and also feel her wrath. "Lucy…" Natsu slowly said, his head lolling over to the side. "I feel sick." He continued. The celestial mage simply turned away from him and tried to enjoy the ride, ignoring Natsu with all her might.

When they finally exited from the ride, they sat down opposite each other on a picnic bench. As Natsu slowly recovered from his ordeal, he turned his head and the most recent sickness phase was quickly forgotten. "We need to try that! And look, Luce! I can't get motion sickness on that!" Lucy looked over, and actually had to agree with the dragon slayer. After all, it was only a shooting game.

As they approached the game, she noticed why Natsu was so intrigued. The aim of the game was to save the city by shooting down and 'killing' a cardboard cut-out of a dragon. Natsu seemed completely engrossed by the game, and admittedly, Lucy was too. They each picked up a fake gun, and began to shoot. It was no surprise to Lucy that Natsu was pretty good at the game, and in fact, didn't miss a single shot, whereas Lucy, being more human, only hit the target once every four or five tries. She glanced over to her partner, only to find him frowning slightly at the game. "Natsu…what's wrong?" She asked, concern slowly bubbling up inside of her. He looked over to her quickly, then back to the game. "It isn't enough." He sighed. "I'm hitting him, but he's just not falling." He looked down to the floor, then back up to Lucy. Sorrow no longer filled his eyes, but absolute anger and determination. He stood on the counter of the game stall, ignoring the lectures of the stall worker. "I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY A DRAGON, I AM NATSU OF FAIRY TAIL! I AM A DRAGON SLAYER!" He smiled a menacing grin, and Lucy took a step back. "I'M ALL FIRED UP." He screamed out, and clenched his fist. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He shouted, as Lucy also shouted his name out, trying to snap some sense into him. She was too late. The stall already had a hole through it, with the cardboard dragon nowhere to be seen. The stall worker stood frozen to the spot as Lucy walked over. "I am so sorry for his actions! How much do I owe you?" She asked apologetically. The worker simply shook his head out of true fear. "N-n-nothing. It's okay, have a good day now, bye." He stared off, and it was clear to see that he was too afraid to charge a man of such power. Lucy would have insisted on paying, if it wasn't for Natsu dragging her away before the man could change his mind. "Natsu, where are we going?" Lucy asked, panting as they ran. "We need to hide, Luce! We can't afford to pay for my damages, we barely have much money as it is!" Lucy had to admit, he was right. Natsu had been living with Lucy for over a week now. She didn't mind him one bit, and actually thoroughly enjoyed his company, however, her money was quickly spent, as she had to buy double the amount of food, sometimes even triple, to feed the dragon slayer and herself. She hadn't noticed, but Natsu had pulled her into what she thought was a dark room. "Natsu?" She whispered, but he simply put his hand over her mouth. She looked up and into his eyes, and noticed how serious they were. Once he had established that the coat was clear, they walked out and along the room. "This is a haunted house here. I've heard from Gray and Juvia that this place was so scary, we just had to try it! Plus, it's dark, so nobody will come after us!" Natsu grinned. Lucy calmed slightly, what with Natsu by her side, but then thought to herself, _wait, Gray and Juvia are dating. Of course they'd like the darkness, _Lucy thought_. _Thinking nothing more of it, she decided to enjoy to attraction.

During the course of the haunted house, various mechanical devices jumped out at the two, causing them both to jump, making them equally as scared as each other. They didn't notice at first, but they were actually holding on to one another's arms. They only noticed when their hands brushed, and they both pulled back out of shock.

They had begun to adjust to the popping up devices, and soon found it funny. They imitated the devices to one another, and the large rooms echoed as they were both crippling in laughter. _This is why I love spending time with her._ Natsu thought to himself, laughing whilst he watched Lucy trying to regain her breath from laughing. _Please, let this last forever. _Natsu hated how vulnerable his thoughts made him feel, but it was the truth. There was nothing he loved more than spending time with his favourite girl, Lucy. Just as Lucy has returned to normal after their laughing fit, she felt something grab her, causing her to scream out in shock and terror. Natsu was by her side immediately, his face serious and cold. He looked the man, only to discover that he was another worker of the theme park, except this man worked in the haunted house. His job was to scare customers, and he had done just that, scaring Lucy to her very core. Before the man could hide in the shadows once again to wait for his next victim, Natsu grabbed him forcefully by the collar and punched him square in the face. "NATSU!" Lucy screamed out. "He's a worker, you don't need to hurt him!" She cried out, going over to help the man up, as the force of Natsu's punch swept him off his feet. "I'm alright," the man laughed. "I signed up for this job knowing that there'd be different reactions from different people, that's why it's the lowest paying job in the theme park!" He continued to laugh, obviously trying to reassure Lucy and brighten the mood. The man stood back up and turned to face Natsu, only for the worker to cower back in fear at Natsu's glare. "You. Don't you ever touch Lucy again. Just try it, and you'll face my wrath, but so much worse." Natsu's body burst into flames and the man screamed in terror. Lucy commanded Natsu to stop. He followed her command and turned to face her. "I think I've proven a point. Let's go, Lucy." He walked on ahead, and after apologising once more to the worker, Lucy followed him.

The sun was beginning to set, and as they left the haunted mansion, there was one more attraction that Lucy had wanted to go on all day. "Natsu, can we ride the Ferris Wheel?" Lucy asked. This was her only ride request, and she couldn't imagine Natsu would suffer from motion sickness, since the Ferris Wheel was known to be slow and relaxing. The fire mage simply gave her one of his huge grins and replied, "Sure, Luce! Whatever you please!"

Just as she had predicted, the Ferris Wheel was indeed slow and relaxing. Natsu wasn't even suffering from any motion sickness at all. The compartment they sat in was small compact. They sat opposite each other, and still, their knees were touching. As Lucy looked out towards the sunset, her face glowed orange and her eyes glistened, Natsu noticed. _Damn, Lucy. I wish you could see how beautiful you looked. _The way a single strand of her hair was on her face made Natsu want to gently place it behind her ear, and let his hand linger on her soft cheeks. _Well, they look soft. Kinda like Happy's hair. Minus the hairy part. Just soft._ Natsu knew he shouldn't have been thinking these things, but he had just come to accept that regardless of whatever feelings he had of his best friend, he had to admit that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. Of course, he wouldn't tell her that. She'd only call him a pervert. She'd also hit him. That last part was a guaranteed outcome. So instead, he simple smiled at her, leaning back in his seat, which made Lucy blush slightly. _Why is he smiling at me? Mavis, he knows about that smile and how I feel about it, so why does he do it anyways!? Great, I can feel myself blushing._ Lucy looked over to Natsu, to find him watching her still, making her even more nervous, especially in the silence. "So…" Natsu started, breaking the silence. "You were pretty scared in that haunted house, huh?" He grinned mischievously. "Hey! You were just as bad as me, if not worse!" She argued back. "Well, I wasn't the one to be scared by some puny guy putting his hands on my shoulders." He teased playfully. "At least I didn't punch him, Natsu! That meant you were more scared than I was so really you're wor-" Lucy didn't get to finish her sentence, as when she stood up during defending herself, it caused their compartment to move, making Lucy fall over-

-and land directly on top of Natsu.

Both mages blushed furiously and Natsu looked away from one another, not wanting to stare at her in case she hit him for being perverted. However, Lucy was transfixed on Natsu, and _oh,_ did he notice. _She's staring at me. Is she mad? Is she gonna hit me? Oh Mavis, please help me. _Whereas Lucy was thinking completely different things to Natsu's imagination. _Why can't I stop staring at him? Since when did he look so cute when he blushed? Why am I thinking this!? _Lucy beat herself up over the slightest romantic thought of Natsu. _I shouldn't be thinking this way about my nakama, end of story, Lucy. Wait, what is he doing? _Natsu slowly lifted his arms and his hands began to move to Lucy's sides. _What is this? Could he be trying to make a move? No, we're friends! Best friends at that! _Before Lucy could assume anything different, Natsu's hands fell on her sides, and he began to tickle her vigorously. "Natsu!" Lucy screamed in laughter and horror. "Please stop! You know how much I hate to be tickled! PLEASE!" She begged, tears rolling down her cheek out of laughter and pure torture. _This is the way it should be. _Natsu thought to himself, smiling._ Best friends…right?_

The sun had already set once their turn was up on the Ferris Wheel. The celestial mage and dragon slayer left their carriage, both panting, and red faced after the tickling ordeal. The worker on the Ferris Wheel watched them suspiciously until they were out of sight, then smirking to himself, shaking his head, saying "kids."

As Natsu and Lucy left the amusement park, Natsu turned around to see Lucy trailing behind, red faced. "You're not tired already Luce, are ya?" He asked, grinning at her and leaning down slightly to reach her height level. "No!" She replied defensively, only making the dragon slayer laugh.

_Though I may have had enough for one day. _She smiled, gazing at her pink haired friend.


	6. Chapter 6 - An Unexpected Occurance

The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 6

As Lucy woke up, she went by with her recently modified morning routine. Firstly, she would have her well-deserved stretch as she got out of bed. Afterwards, she would take her time in the bathroom as she brushed her teeth and washed up. This had always been the normal routine; however, after a certain male, pink haired mage began temporarily living with her, she had to dress herself in the bathroom rather than her bedroom. (Not that this member of the male species would really mind Lucy getting dressed in front of him. Although, he'd refuse to admit that to himself, never mind the woman herself. ) Once she was dressed and freshened up, she would then approach the sofa with the intention of waking the pinkette. On the first try, she would gently shake his arm, causing him to stir slightly, but she would always have no such luck. On the second try, she would try shaking his entire body, more forcefully than the first time, but not violently. Once again, the deep sleeper would only stir, perhaps with a slight scowl at the disturbance. On the third try, however, the blonde would hold no prisoners. She would grab his pink hair and pull it sharply. This, contrary to the other tactics, worked a charm. The dragon slayer would wake up screaming, then would catch Lucy off guard, and pounce on her, being too hypnotised by tiredness to realise that it was his nakama, Lucy, rather than an attacker.

Once they had argued at each other, and made back up, Lucy would venture into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the two young adults. For herself, she would prepare a poached egg on lightly toasted bread. Natsu, however, preferred a greasy fry up, consisting of fried eggs, bacon, hash browns… If it was greasy and fattening, it would almost surely be on Natsu's plate. Lucy had tried to change his lifestyle and persuade him to consume something healthier and nutritional. The dragon slayer would laugh in her face in return to the proposition.

"Natsu, I'm going to the guild to see this new book Levy bought from that book store on the other side of town. You coming?" She asked whilst yawning. Her morning routines were far too much for her tired body to take. Natsu would always tire her out before her alarm had even hit 9am, without fail. _I love you, Natsu, but please, let me have an easier morning routine, please! _She thought to herself, only for her cheeks to turn crimson as she noticed that she connected the name "Natsu" with the word "love". She almost choked on her own tongue. After calming down from fighting her own thoughts, she put her attention back on Natsu, waiting for his reply. "I don't know, Luce. Happy and I were gonna go on a job today. These guys are after this rare food, and they say that the prize is only 10,000 jewels, but you get to keep some of the food! You never know, Luce, it could taste really good! Besides, they said it should only take about 5 hours or something to do." Natsu beamed. _Man, I really can't wait for this! What if it's a fish for Happy, Mavis, he'd be so happy! Hey, that's his name! _Natsu laughed to himself. Lucy stood watching Natsu with one eyebrow raised. Then a smile formed on her lips. Natsu was glowing, and naturally, seeing her best friend smile, it made her smile alongside him. "Hey, Lucy? Why are you smiling too? Are you thinking of catching a fish for Happy, too?" Natsu questioned, confused, yet still smiling at his recent thought. "No, you idiot." Lucy replied, laughing lightly. "I'm just smiling at your goofy face." She teased, making Natsu's eyes widen. "Hey!" He shouted.

Their light-hearted 'argument' continued until Happy flew through the window and 3/5 of Team Natsu left Lucy's apartment.

"Lucy~" sang the white haired S-Class mage. "Who's the lucky guy?" Mirajane asked, winking at Lucy. The blonde mage's eyes widened and she blushed. _I'm blushing far too often._ She moaned in her head. "W-what? Mira, what do you mean?" Lucy questioned, her eyes widening even more. "You've got love written all over your face. Wait! Don't tell me! It's Natsu? You two are finally happening! Oh Mavis, I've been waiting FOREVER for this development! Lucy, congratulations!" Mira squealed. Lucy sat there dumbfounded. _What the hell is she talking about?_ "Mira! Natsu and I are just friends! Where did you get this assumption!?" Lucy placed her head in her hands in embarrassment. _I can't believe Mira seriously believes that Natsu and I are a thing? Why would she even think that!? We're nakama! N-A-K-A-M-A. _Lucy told herself over and over. Mira opened her mouth to speak, but before she even had the chance to reply, a gruff, male voice interrupted the white haired mage's trail of thought. "Well, I can smell that fire dragon all over ya. Is he crashing at yours? Or has that guy became a man yet?" Gajeel stood behind Lucy, smirking at her face, which had crumpled into a look of absolute disgust. "No, Gajeel! Why would I ever do that with…Natsu!?" Lucy scream-whispered, in fear that anybody other than Mirajane, Gajeel and herself would hear them. Gajeel laughed, and Mira blushed and let out a small giggle. "So, he's stayin' at yours, am I right?" Gajeel asked once again, making Lucy look away from the iron dragon slayer in slight fear. _They cannot find out Natsu is temporarily living with me. I wouldn't have minded so much, had it not been for Gajeel and Mira's comment. Looks like we're gonna have to lay low about this temporary living together for a while._ Lucy decided. "No! Look, I came here to catch up with friends, not be interrogated!" Lucy stood up from her seat. "See you guys another time." She declared, and left the guild before they had a chance to stop her.

_I'll just spend the day at home pampering myself. Yeah, I haven't had one of those days since way before Natsu even moved in with me. _Lucy smiled to herself at the thought of a pamper day. She could even call out Aries, and she could make her endless pillows and blankets, and she could wrap herself up in them after a nice, relaxing bath. _Oh, this is going to be so great._ She beamed.

As she walked towards her home, she noticed a man walking towards her. At first, she didn't think anything of it. However, as she moved to the other side of the pavement so that she didn't collide with the stranger, he moved to the other side of the pavement, too. She soon realised that he wasn't coincidentally trying to move for her at the same time; he was purposely trying to collide with her. Lucy began to quicken her pace, and continued to move away from the stranger's course, only for him to collide with hers again.

They got even closer, until Lucy stopped in her footsteps. "Leave me alone!" She screamed at the stranger. She expected him to stop, however, he merely smirked to himself, and continued walking toward her at a relaxed pace. "Lucy Heartfilia. Please, do not be alarmed. How could you forget me?" He smiled sadly, a twinge of sadness in his tone. Lucy's eyes widened as she came to the realization of who this stranger really was. "A-Ando, right!?" She stuttered. She was slightly relieved that she knew him, however, she was also afraid of him. _How did he know my name without any introduction whatsoever? And why was he purposely trying to collide with me just there? _Lucy's hand shook as she held it out in the same way he held his out, signalling to shake her hand. He grabbed it gently, and gave a satisfied sigh as his hand locked around hers. As Lucy loosened her already slack grip, and tried to gently pull away, she panicked to herself slightly as she noticed that Ando had no intentions of letting her hand go. "Um…" She smiled at him, trying to cover her fear. "Oh, I'm not letting go of your hand, Lucy Heartfilia. Unless, that is, it means we're going to hold hands, or even better, hold one another in a passionate embrace." He winked, sending a fearful shiver down Lucy's spine. "Wha-what do you want from me?" Lucy asked, making her fear less obvious, whilst trying to pull away from him, merely making him tighten his grip on her hand, hurting her slightly. "You're mine, Lucy Heartfilia. Nobody else's. Not even that stupid pink haired idiot's. Mine." He whispered the last part, chilling Lucy to her very core.

"Let go of me!" Lucy screamed. Ando covered her mouth abruptly and pulled her into a dark alleyway. Before Lucy could even scream once more or kick him in an attempt of escape, Ando whispered, "Dark enchantment, immobilise." Lucy could feel her limbs weakening, and in the blink of an eye, she couldn't even move her body. She fell limp in Ando's arms, and he chuckled to himself, evil filling his eyes. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are mine, Lucy Heartfilia. Now, don't you forget it." With that, Ando whispered another spell, but Lucy was too drowsy to hear it.

As her eyes closed, she could only think of one thing in her mind.

_Please, save me, Natsu…_


	7. Chapter 7 - Lucy Heartfilia

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in the last few days, I've been really busy! I'm super sorry to say that I wont be posting again until maybe this time next week, as I'm camping at an area that doesn't have internet connection! Forgive me please!**

**(We're at over 3,650 views! Thank you so much!)**

**Anyways, I thank you all for the reviews, and I'm still thickening the plot! I hope you all enjoy this longer than normal chapter, and I'll see you all next week! **

**~I do not own Fairy Tail, as I am not the wonderful Mashima-sensei ;_;~**

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The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 7

"Lucy!?" Natsu called aloud. As the pinkette and his blue exceed companion returned to Magnolia, satisfied with their rewards, (and only a small damage price taken off their 10,000 jewels), Natsu had suddenly heard the scream of his name from an all too familiar voice. He knew she wasn't close, but he sensed her call, as though they shared the same thoughts and so, could constantly hear one another.

He noticed that her voice was afraid. That very realisation shook Natsu to his very core. _It's not like Lucy to be afraid. She's a Fairy Tail mage! _Natsu fumed to himself. _Which bastard hurt my Lucy? They're gonna pay. NEVER lay a hand on my nakama. _Natsu warned Lucy's attacker through his mind. The thought of Lucy being hurt infuriated Natsu, and without warning Happy, took off at an unimaginable speed. "Natsu!" Happy called out. "Please, Natsu, slow down! What's wrong?" The Exceed asked. "Is-is something wrong with Lucy?" He asked, tears brimming in his eyes. Natsu stopped and turned to his companion. Happy looked up at his fire mage friend, only to notice the seriousness in his face. He knew that yes, Lucy was in trouble, but now was no time to cry. _She needs us!_ Happy shouted to his mind. Before Natsu registered his friend's movements, he was scooped up, and Happy was lifting him up into the sky and towards Magnolia at a speed Natsu had no idea his friend was capable of such speed.

Natsu knew that this was no time to admire his friend's speed. This was the time to hurry and save Lucy, the one person he treasured most.

"We're coming, Lucy!" Natsu screamed. "I'm all fired up!"

"Aye!"

* * *

_W-what? Where am I?_ The Blonde mage wondered to herself. She suddenly felt a throbbing pain shoot through her head, only to notice that her head was resting on a cold, cobbled floor. _This isn't my room. Wait, are those, bars? I'm in a dungeon!_ She realised, a shock to her system. It was only then that the memories of merely hours earlier came flooding back.

_Ando…Ando kidnapped me! _She remembered. She ran up to the bars and pulled at them with all of her might, in hopes that they may have been old and weak, and she had the strength needed to break them. She had no such luck. At that point, Lucy noticed a figure in the corner. She felt every hair on her body stand on end as she heard his dark laughter. A disfigured man revealed himself out of the shadows with an evil grin on his face. "You seriously think you could get out of that with your bare fists alone?" The man laughed in a sinister tone. "Please! I have more power in my little toe than you do in your full body!" He laughed, clearly enjoying the hurt on Lucy's face. "Look," The man started, changing to a serious look on his face. "Master wanted you here, unharmed. So, before you start banging on the bars or, well, being a general annoyance, consider the fact that I'm the lowest member of this guild, so a small punishment wouldn't mean much to me if it meant hurting you for disturbing me." A chill was sent down Lucy's spine. "So, shut up, you dumb bitch. You'll be collected soon, Until then, go sleep or something that doesn't involve me." The disfigured guild member began to walk away, before he heard Lucy's voice once again, causing him to grow even angrier. "Y-you said you were in a guild. I'm guessing it's a dark guild, and Fairy Tail battled plenty before. Though this place isn't somewhere I recognise. Which guild is this?" Lucy asked, not even a trace of fear left in her voice, only curiosity. This question made the dark guild member turn, snatching his curiosity. He smiled darkly at her question. "We are Night Wolf." He said proudly. "Of course you haven't heard of us. We're planning on taking over the world without anybody noticing. Everybody battles the largest dark guilds, assuming they're the cause of most conflict, however, they never notice the guilds like ours. Hey, you're an official guild member and you hadn't even heard of us, so we must be doing something right!" He beamed. After a moment of taking in his reply, Lucy grew angry. This took the man by surprise. "So, you're trying to tell me that you're trying to take over the world without making your guild known? What's wrong with you!?" She screamed in anger. "You should be proud of your guild! You should wear your emblem with pride, you shouldn't be hiding it! You know what? You're not even a guild, never mind a dark guild!" Lucy was truly angered by this guild's motives. _I am a proud member of Fairy Tail, and I want the world to know that! _She told herself, proudness bubbling up inside of her.

At that point during her lecture, both Lucy and the guard heard another door open in the dungeon. Another man appeared from around a corner. This man was the complete opposite to the lowly ranked guard. He was muscular and looked as though he could crush Lucy without even touching her. It was his eyes. They were onyx, but nothing like Natsu's. His had a slight tint of a blood red colour to them, only enhancing Lucy's fear of him. She could feel his magic oozing from his pores. _Don't mess with him, Lucy. He's not like the other guy._ She decided. "Lucy Heartfilia, am I correct?" He asked her, his voice emotionless. She simply nodded in reply, and he opened her cell, and handcuffed her before she could even think to run from the enemies. "You're coming with me to see the master." He said, merely glancing down at her. "Thanks for watching her, Wardeen." The man said to the guard, who Lucy had learnt was named Wardeen. The new man led her up and out of the dungeon, and towards the office of Night Wolf's master.

Lucy didn't get to see any other guild members. It seemed that Night Wolf's guild was simply masses of spiral staircases, as her new guard simply had to take her up one long and tiring flight of stairs. Unlike with the other guard, Lucy didn't dare to ask her questions. She could barely breathe without the fear that he would throw her down the flight of stairs, or murder her there on the spot. _He doesn't seem like the type to be afraid of getting his hands dirty._ She thought to herself, scaring her mind a little more.

They finally arrived at a large arched door after what felt like an eternity of walking up the spiral staircase. Ideally, Lucy could have done with some water and a rest, however, she knew that she was definitely not about to receive such service from a man as menacing as this man now with her. The man opened the arched door, and dragged Lucy inside, leaving her clueless and fearing for her life.

The room was black, apart from two candles lit in the two far corners of the room. They merely made silhouettes around the room. Lucy noticed that the candles lit up the silhouette of a man, who was sitting in between the two candles. The room was deadly silent, until the sitting man spoke, shattering the quiet.

"Lucy Heartfilia." He recalled. Lucy's eyes widened at the voice. This could only be one person. Using her full name? Of course. "Ando!" She declared. "What am I doing here!? Get me out!" She screamed in frustration. Ando simply laughed at her weakness. "Ah, Lucy Heartfilia. How I have awaited your presence in my guild, Night Wolf, for so long. You know, your mother was a celestial spirit mage, too." He smiled at her, hiding something truly sinister underneath. "Don't you dare speak of my mother, you have no right!" She shouted. _How does he know about my mother? Who is this guy?_ "You see, I am merely in my twenties. I am not the creator or this guild. Oh no, that would be my father's line. He created this guild. He invited those who wished to devote their lives to underground evil to join this guild. Though, regardless of how many members joined, he was never satisfied." He told Lucy, pausing to allow her to take in what he was saying. "What does this have to do with my mother?" She demanded, catching Ando and the guard, unexpectedly. "Now, now, Lucy Heartfilia. We will come to that in due time." He replied calmly. "Where was I? Ah, yes. My father showed no interest in his increasing amount of members. He only wanted one mage. Do you know who that mage was, Lucy Heartfilia?" He asked her, waiting for a reply, or even a reaction. He received no such thing. "He wanted your mother, Layla Heartfilia." Lucy's eyes widened at the declaration. Before she could question Ando, he continued on. "My father wanted Layla Heartfilia for her talent in her magic. She was a celestial mage spirit. My father devoted his time to studying into your mother, from where she lived, to her daily routine. He had his plans on how to retrieve her. Though, there was the _accident_." Ando sighed, and even shot Lucy a slightly sympathetic look. _Of course._ Lucy realised. _They're talking about her death._ "Fortunately, for us," Ando continued, "She had already given birth to her offspring. You, Lucy Heartfilia." He smiled darkly. "By the time I was fifteen, my father passed away due to exhaustion. Without hesitation, I took over the role of being master. Of course, there were objections, due to my age, however, I had the power of an experienced mage, and so I shut up all who objected." He grinned in satisfaction. "Life got even better when I learnt that Layla Heartfilia's daughter could also use celestial spirit magic! So, I waited until you were older, so that I could approach you as a potential love interest. However, when I saw you earlier, and you were without that annoying pink haired idiot, I decided that then was the right time to capture you. And I did it!" He shouted in satisfaction. During his victory celebration, Lucy stood and thought to herself. _Why does he want a celestial mage wizard? It must be for something important, since they've been after a one since way before my mother died._ It no longer pained her to admit that her mother had passed, however, she strongly disliked talking about her in such a horrible environment. "Answer me something?" She asked Ando. Instead of rejecting any questions, as Lucy expected, he simply smiled and awaited her questioning. "Why do you want a celestial spirit wizard?" She asked curiously. Ando laughed and happily replied, "Well, you probably won't know this, but there's another gate key, which was made by one of the God's." It went without saying that this shocked Lucy completely. She had not expected this. "This is the key of Space. It is said that this spirit can change time as we know it! If we really thought it through, we could take over the world! All we need is this key, and a celestial spirit wizard who is strong enough to use it. And if my sources are correct, you've earned yourself a respectable amount of keys, yes? So you should be powerful enough to use this key, Lucy Heartfilia!" Lucy was a wreck of emotions. She was disgusted that they would try to use her mother like this, and herself and she was angry that they would treat the spirits like some 'freaks in keys'. On the contrary, she was almost _flattered_ that they came to her. Though that would never change her mind. She had to protect all her spirits, and who knew if they were even telling the truth?

"Look, Ando. I'm flattered that you want my help, but I'm not interested in this. Besides, is this even real?" She paused, and then thought maybe she sounded interested if she left the conversation on that note, and so continued. "I don't want any part of this, so I'll be leaving no-" She couldn't finish her sentence, as the guard from earlier grabbed her and spun her back toward Ando. She had forgotten that guard was even there. She shuddered at the thought of getting on his bad side. "Listen to me, Lucy Heartfilia. You don't have to come with us. You can always leave. Though you'll have to listen to my bargain, as I won't let you go without a consequence, of course." _Shit,_ _I wasn't expecting this. _Lucy hesitated as he paused, then decided to go on. "Here's my bargain. You either join Night Wolf, and together we'll search for the key, and rule the world, allowing pure evil to take over," he smiled, "Or, you can leave, but bearing in mind the consequences." He finished. "C-consequences?" She asked. Ando beamed at the thought of the consequences. "Oh yes, Draiko, show her the viewing lacrima!" He demanded the guard holding her. _Draiko…so that's his name. _She thought. Draiko held the lacrima in front of her, and it soon began to project a close up live stream of Fairy Tail. "You either join us, or face watching every last fairy get slaughtered from our guild members."

Lucy gasped at Ando's harsh words. She looked back towards the viewing lacrima. From the outside, it looked quiet, but Lucy knew that on the inside, it would be filled with drunken guild members, happy and free. She thought nothing of it, until she saw the hundreds of men standing around the guild, every man armed with weapons. At first, Lucy showed a hint of worry, but then simply laughed out loud. "They're Fairy Tail! Those men won't hurt them!" Ando smirked. That may be true. When the fairies are all together, they're strong. However, we'd slowly kill them off, _one by one._" At that point, a different live stream showed up on the lacrima. Lucy almost fell over in shock. A girl was tied to a chair by both her arms and legs. Tears were streaming down her face, leaving her eyes puffy and swollen. She had a large bruise forming on her face and her clothes were tattered, and her tied up, blue hair was messy. It was Levy. It wasn't only Levy. A man stood by her, holding a knife merely centimetres from her throat. "We'll start with her." Ando smiled. "Leave her alone!" Lucy screamed in horror. She could not let anybody get hurt because of her, especially not her best friend! The guild had already put themselves at risk in the past, and she wasn't going to let that happen again.

_I either join this guild and give up Fairy Tail, or be the reason my best friend and guild were killed. I have to do this._ With a sigh of defeat, she turned to Ando and closed her eyes, her head facing the floor.

"Fine. I'll join your guild. Just leave Fairy Tail out of this." Almost immediately, the man on the lacrima dropped the knife and immediately let Levy loose. The picture changed back to the Fairy Tail guild, where the men began to clear out. _So that's it. No more Fairy Tail. No more Erza, Gray, Wendy, Levy, Mirajane, Happy. No more Natsu. _A single tear fell down her cheek, and Ando gently wiped it away. Lucy couldn't even move. She'd lost all willpower. Ando smiled at her, and she felt ill to the very pit of her stomach. Ando put his hands together and stared Lucy straight in the eye.

"I welcome you, Lucy Heartfilia, Night Wolf's newest guild member."


	8. Chapter 8 - My Girlfriend

**(A/N:) Hey guys! I am so sorry for not updating in over a month. I can't apologize enough. Seriously, thanks to all of you, I reached well over 5,000 views, so much more than I ever expected to get, and I can't thank all you enough for that. There's one user in particular that I'd really like to thank, and that's icrazypanda360i. If it wasn't for that motivation you gave me, I hate to admit that maybe this wouldn't have been updated. I love to write, but I just couldn't find that motivation I really needed, I was scared of letting my readers down by my writing, and so filled up my time doing everything else. However, I'm back, and I plan to update around every 2 weeks or so, since I'm starting school in a few weeks. I just want to thank you all once again. You are all my motivation, and without you all, I wouldn't be at this stage in my life today.**

**Thank you, and I'll see you all next time 3.**

**"Fear is not evil. It's knowing your weakness, and making you stronger."**

**(END A/N:)**

* * *

The Roommate

A NaLu Fan Fiction

Chapter 8

Almost as if she had been transported into an alternate universe at the speed of light, her entire surroundings changed. The atmosphere grew ever so slightly lighter, despite the dark and ever suspicious Draiko by her side. She took in his guild crest on his right shoulder. _Is that what I'll have to wear? _Lucy said to her empty self. _No! You're not a member of this stupid guild! You're no Night Wolf mage, you're a Fairy Tail mage! _She told herself over and over. _Besides, why are you giving in? It looks like we have them fooled, so they won't see this next action coming. _Lucy smirked as she looked up at Ando, her eyes hastily replenishing themselves with confidence. "Ando! You may think I'm your prisoner, but I should tell you that in fact, you are the prisoner of my spirits and I!" She declared as her hand moved to her belt loop, where she kept her keys in their bag. Her eyes widened as she noticed the fatal error in her plan.

_W-where are my keys?_

Ando smirked and took a step towards the helpless mage, who's knees had gave in, causing her to crash onto the floor in a powerless state. "Oh, foolish Lucy Heartfilia. Could it be that you are looking for these?" He flashed a sinister grin and he pulled her keys from his pocket. Lucy sat there, speechless. She couldn't even cry anymore. _Is this seriously happening? Will I ever be able to leave? _Lucy could have slapped her inner thoughts. _No! I'll always be a Fairy Tail mage, and nobody can change that! I'll find a way out of here! _

Lucy realised that she had to endure her new lifestyle, at least until they trusted her and she was reunited with her keys. Meanwhile, Ando turned to Draiko to give him his next command. "Escort her to her new home. And be sure that she doesn't try to pull any escape stunts." Draiko nodded and lifted Lucy up onto her feet with one swift movement by one strong hand. "In fact," Ando continued "Draiko, I am making you her official guard." Both Lucy and Draiko raised their eyebrows in surprise, Lucy's in horror of lack of privacy more than anything. "You are to stay by her side at all times. That includes sleeping, eating, and regular daily activities. You are dismissed." Draiko frowns as he enquires what seemed to be obvious to anybody with working eyes. "But master, what about…" he looked down at Lucy's hand, and Ando let out a sigh as if to say he had only just noticed. "Ah, yes. How could I forget?" He smiled at Lucy. Lucy cried out in horror as she began to plead "No! Please! Anything but my guild mark! You can take me away from them and my home, but please! Not my guild mark!" Tears flooded her eyes as she sobbed and shook, and Draiko tried to hold her firmly. "Now, now," Draiko tried to soothe "it will all be over in just a moment." With that, Ando gently took her blonde mage's hand, and whispered barely loudly enough for anybody but himself to hear "Dark Enchantment: Imprint." Lucy felt a slight prick on her hand before Ando gently let her go. She looked down at her hand and gaped in horror as she glared down at the same guild mark as what was on Draiko's right shoulder. The dark blue silhouette of a wolf sat on her pale skin. It didn't belong there. She didn't want to wear it on any part of her body, never mind on her most often seen body part. Ando sighed with content as he looked from the hand up to Lucy's disgusted face. "I believe we're done here. Draiko, you understand your command. I expect there to be no issues." Draiko nodded with a emotionless "Yes, master."

With a single hand action, Ando shooed the pair away. Without a moment's notice, Lucy was being almost pulled down the corridors by her new cell mate, Draiko. _We can do it, Lucy. We can overcome this. Give it time, hit them when they least expect it._ That was the only thought that could race through Lucy's mind as she was led to her new home, her hell.

* * *

As the guild doors slammed open, only Gray looked up from his drink to see the person everybody expected to have caused the disturbance. "Oi! Flame brain!" the ice mage began as he stood from his bar stool. "What the hell do you think you're doing slamming the doors like you own the place!?" Gray slurred, which indicated that he was obviously intoxicated to some extent. Normally, Natsu would have stopped to pick a fight with Gray, however, today, he only intended to make a single beeline to one particular person. "Look, I'm gonna knock some sense into your small little bra- WHOA!" Natsu almost knocked Gray over as he sped past the drunken man and straight over to Mirajane, who hadn't yet looked up from her cleaning of the bar.

"Mira! I need your help now!" Natsu demanded. Mirajane looked up, her eyes slightly shocked by his forwardness. _It isn't like Natsu to be so strict sounding._ Mira thought to herself. Deciding not to keep the pink haired male waiting any longer, she placed her smile on her face. "Sure, what's up, Natsu?" She asked. "Where did Lucy go before when she left here?" He almost screamed in agitation and impatience. Mira tapped her forehead as she thought for a moment. "Well, she wasn't on a job or anything." She paused, before recalling the events. "Ah, yes! She said she was going to go home for a pampering day- Natsu, why are you running? Natsu!" She called from behind the bar, but Natsu was already leaving the guild as full speed, Happy close behind.

* * *

Before he could even sprint up her stairs and into her home, Natsu noticed several workers moving furniture. _Lucy's furniture._ Natsu's insides were engulfed in flames as he stormed over to a man holding a clipboard, directing men with different items of furniture into a large van. "What the hell are you doing!? STOP MOVING HER STUFF!" He screamed angrily, confused. The man with the clipboard turned to the dragon slayer, clearly bored and annoyed. "And who the hell are you? Her boyfriend?" He asked, already impatiently waiting for a reply. Natsu decided to use his brain, and considered the possibility that maybe, if he pretended to be her boyfriend, they'd listen. So, without putting too much thought into his answer, he hastily replied "Yeah, and what the hell's it to ya?" Natsu asked back, even more agitation to his voice. The man's eyes widened and he called the workers to a halt. Natsu decided to take this moment as an opportunity to ask some questions. "Where the hell are you taking her stuff?" The worker with the clipboard shuffled awkwardly as he levelled his eyes with Natsu. "Look, man. I'm sorry, but we were paid extra to say nothing to anyone. You ain't getting a peep outta me, or any of these other guys, for that matter." The man answered, obviously uncomfortable with Natsu's dangerous stare, yet still trying to hold his pride. That changed immediately after Natsu's body erupted into loud flames and his mouth let out a wild snarl. The worker answered, constantly shaking and stuttering whilst doing so. "L-Look man, I d-d-didn't know you were that S-Salamander guy, I-I'm s-sorry. Please don't hurt me!" He begged, and Natsu's face only softened slightly, not enough for anyone but himself to notice. "T-they paid us! The dark guild! They paid us to go collect all her junk and throw it away somewhere! I'm sorry! P-please d-don't hurt me!" Natsu smirked slightly at the small amount of information. "A dark guild, huh? When will those assholes notice that they're no match for Fairy Tail?" His smile slowly vanished as he turned back to the helpless worker. He assumed Salamander was asking him, and so answered hesitantly. "I-I don't know man! We were just p-paid to do the job for those N-Night Wolf guys!" He finished, almost bursting into tears, whilst the other workers crowded together in horror, watching Natsu's enflamed body continue to burn. "Night Wolf, eh?" Natsu's face lowered into a frown. "Never heard of 'em! But they'll pay! After all, nobody hurts my nakama!" "I-I thought she was your girlfriend?" The man asked, looking as though he immediately regretted it after seeing Natsu's eyes pierce into his. Natsu blushed slightly at the thought of Lucy being his girlfriend, however nobody would see over the inches of fire surrounding him. "O-of course she is! But that has nothing to do with you!" He replied protectively, as though they had broken through an emotional layer Natsu wasn't aware existed. He looked down at the man once again, and ordered that they put the furniture back in the exact order as it originally was. They all submitted out of true fear, and Natsu sprinted off back towards the guild to demand Mirajane for more information.

* * *

"Night Wolf, you say?" Mirajane thought to herself for a few moments, before looking as though she'd remembered something helpful. "Ah yes! Night Wolf, a dark guild formed fairly recently actually. It's based within the Chamber Forest." Natsu felt a weight lift from his chest, thanks to Mira's information. "Where is the Chamber Forest, Mira!?" He asked, sounding more impatient than he would have liked, due to her constant kindness towards him and every guild member. "Keep heading West, and pass through three towns, and after the third town, Gonola, you will come across a forest darker than any you've ever seen. It's impossible to miss, Natsu. Night Wolf is in the centre of there." She let out a deep breath. "Is there anything I or any of the guild members can do to help, Natsu?" She asked. Of course, she was worried about Lucy, and would have loved to help. However, she understood that this may have been something Natsu had to do for himself. After all, he and Lucy had something special, even if neither of them noticed it. "Thanks, Mira, but you've already helped me so much. I can do this on my own, after all, I'm from Fairy Tail!" He beamed. Mira laughed, and sent her best wishes to Natsu and Happy before the two ran out of the guild doors, not leaving a second behind.

"Natsu, will Lucy be okay?" Happy asked, worry clouding his voice. Natsu grinned for a moment, before determination filled his face as he carried on sprinting. "Of course, Happy. She's from Fairy Tail, and she's our nakama. My best friend." He smiled to himself. Lucy was his everything, and he had to protect her. _W-wait! My everything? Natsu, what the hell is wrong with you? _He shook his head as if to clear the thoughts from his head.

"We will protect you, Lucy."


End file.
